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Swot

All articles tagged with #swot

science16 days ago•6 min saved

NASA’s SWOT Reveals Hidden Ocean Floor in Unprecedented Global Map

NASA's SWOT satellite has produced a high-resolution, global map of the seafloor by measuring subtle sea-surface height variations, revealing features like abyssal hills and tectonic structures that were previously hidden from space. This breakthrough accelerates ocean science, improves models of ocean circulation and climate, and has implications for resource management, shipping, hazard detection, and national security. The effort aims to complete a comprehensive global seafloor map by 2030, blending space-based observations with traditional ship-based mapping.

via Indian Defence Review|

#abyssal-hills #oceanography #satellite-remote-sensing

science18 days ago•3 min saved

NASA’s SWOT Satellite Maps the Ocean Floor From Space

NASA and CNES’s SWOT satellite uses gravity-driven sea-surface height data to map the seafloor, enabling detection of smaller features like seamounts and abyssal hills and potentially expanding the catalog from about 44,000 to up to 100,000. The effort aims to map the entire ocean floor by 2030, complementing ship-based sonar with near-global coverage every 21 days.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#nasa #oceanography #satellite

science23 days ago•47 min saved

SWOT unmasks a global tidal footprint of rivers

Using the SWOT satellite’s wide-swath altimetry, researchers mapped tidal elevations across 3,172 coastal rivers and identified over 165,000 km of tidal reach on 51,627 river branches, revealing that tides influence hundreds of millions of people and many waterways. Tidal amplitudes at river mouths, channel slope, width, and human-made obstacles shape how far tides propagate upstream, with dams notably limiting tidal extent in about 16% of rivers. The study, validated against 622 tide gauges and supported by the RiverSP dataset, provides a global atlas of tidal rivers, enabling improved flood/drought analysis, saltwater intrusion prediction, and hydrologic–ecologic modelling for coastal water security under climate change.

via Nature|

#river-tides #science #swot

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Satellites Map Pacific Wave Field, Clarifying 35-Meter Wave Claims

New satellite-altimetry analyses show SWOT captured large-scale, two-dimensional ocean-height patterns during the 2025 Kamchatka tsunami and concurrent storm waves, helping refine rupture models and post-event understanding; however, the reported 35-meter waves were a misinterpretation of significant wave height, and real-time hazard alerts still rely on in-situ systems like DART buoys and meteorological models.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#dart #oceanography #satellite-altimetry

science3 months ago•4 min saved

NASA satellite captures detailed images of Pacific tsunami

NASA and French satellite SWOT captured high-resolution images of a Pacific tsunami caused by a 2025 earthquake, revealing complex wave patterns and challenging traditional models that treat large tsunamis as non-dispersive. The data suggest that dispersion plays a significant role in tsunami behavior, which could improve future forecasting and hazard assessment by integrating satellite, buoy, seismic, and geodetic data. This breakthrough highlights the need to update tsunami models to account for wave dispersion and internal structure.

via Earth.com|

#dispersive-waves #oceanography #satellite

science4 months ago•4 min saved

Satellite Reveals Details of Kamchatka's Massive Tsunami

A NASA and French satellite captured the first high-resolution image of a giant tsunami caused by a 2025 earthquake, revealing complex wave patterns that challenge traditional models and suggest the need for revised tsunami forecasting methods that incorporate dispersion effects and multiple data sources.

via Earth.com|

#dispersive-waves #oceanography #satellite

science1 year ago•2 min saved

Assessing the Impact of a Greenland Tsunami

An international satellite mission, including NASA's SWOT satellite, detected a unique tsunami in Greenland's Dickson Fjord, triggered by a massive rockslide in September 2023. The tsunami's seismic activity was recorded globally for nine days. SWOT's advanced radar technology allowed researchers to measure water elevation changes, revealing significant differences in water levels within the fjord. This event highlights SWOT's capability to monitor natural hazards, aiding in disaster preparedness and risk reduction.

via nasa.gov|

#greenland #satellite #science

science-and-astronomy2 years ago•2 min saved

"California Coast Experiences Alarming Marine Heat Wave, Satellite Image Reveals"

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite has captured a marine heat wave off the coast of California in data from August 2023. This heat wave is a signature of El Niño, a climate cycle that sees the Pacific Ocean warm and the trade winds weaken at irregular intervals. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecasted a greater than 70% chance for a strong El Niño this coming winter. Scientists can use SWOT data to monitor sea level changes and inform their forecasts and models.

via Space.com|

#california-coast #el-nino #marine-heat-wave